GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — An almost 14-foot (4-meter) jawbone believed to be from a right whale is now in a museum after a boater spotted it on a barrier island off Florida's Atlantic Coast.
The Tampa Bay Times reports the bone was taken to the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville last month. The jawbone was discovered near Jacksonville.
Our new whale mandible specimen came with a mystery. Could this be the match to a mandible we've had in our collection since 1907? It's a tale of DNA tests, endangered #whales, and museum collections! (via @craigtimes @TB_Times) https://t.co/RW2IR57GFo
— Florida Museum (@FloridaMuseum) June 28, 2019
Museum officials say it appears to be a left mandible, which is part of the jawbone. DNA tests are underway to determine if the bone is indeed from a right whale. There are only about 450 right whales left in the world.
The museum currently has a right mandible from a right whale, which was found in 1907.
Experts believe it's the mandible of a right #whale. 🐋 The front end of the bone was exposed so it bears weathering damage and barnacles, while the rest of it was buried in sand for a long time. Scientists are hard at work learning what we can from this new #specimen! pic.twitter.com/uQlKFK1Kdj
— Florida Museum (@FloridaMuseum) June 25, 2019
Florida Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Kerr says it was a "rare, unique discovery."